Page 18 of Alien in the Attic

Arccoo sensed a wave of tension from Carmen. Lying to a family member was never easy. He knew that with resolute certainty. So he spoke up first to save her from the potential embarrassment.

“Everywhere,” he said. “I find human celebratory rituals strange and enticing. We toured the mansion so I could take in as much of it as possible. Some of your dance moves are… unique, to say the least.”

Sofia’s smile consumed her face. “There’s nobody quite like us Earthlings!”

Elena came roboting up to them. “Happy Halloween, mofos,” she said in a stilted mechanical voice. “I am having a great time.” She dangled her right arm at a stiff ninety-degree angle and swung it back and forth, making servo noises with her mouth.

“I see you’ve finally evolved into your final form,” Sofia said. “A computer!”

The four of them laughed, and for a time, the dread of leaving was locked away in the deepest corner of Arccoo’s mind.

They danced, jumping with the beat, sliding with the rhythm, and lip syncing to the chorus. Even Arccoo was able to pick up on the melody to most songs and recall when it repeated, so he was able to join in the mock-singing. If suspicious eyes were on him, onlookers subconsciously picking up that something was different about him, he didn’t notice. At no point did his skin prickle with self-consciousness. Not once did he see a face studying at him out of the corner of his eye. He was free and in the moment.

He smiled when a song inspired Carmen and her sisters to cheer and refer to themselves as Winifred, Sarah, and Mary, who helearned was a trio of witches from a classic Earth story. Then Sofia fled to the restroom and Elena went to refuel on snacks. Once they were enveloped by the crowd, Carmen wrapped her arms around Arccoo’s shoulders and claimed his lower lip between hers. Holding her close, they stood still in the middle of the Halloween ball, tasting one another.

Before her sisters could return, Carmen took Arccoo’s hand, and they snuck away to a side room housing nothing but boxes. As the door shut behind them, Arccoo latched on to the back of Carmen’s legs and lifted her off of her feet. Picking up on his intentions, she wrapped her legs around his waist, hooking her feet together in the back.

Without looking, he walked her across the room, their mouths never parting, and pressed her against the wall. Carmen moaned before gasping in his ear. He kissed a trail along her cheek, to her earlobe, and down the side of her neck.

“Bite me,” she whispered.

He sank his teeth gently into the side of her neck and felt her shudder.

Just then, the door swung open with a loud clatter.

Startled, both Carmen and Arccoo looked to find two drunk pirates sloppily fondling each other as they collapsed on one of the cardboard towers.

“Shall we find another spot?” Arccoo asked, prepared to continue if she said no. Based on the level of inebriation on display, he doubted the strange pirate lovers would have noticed anyone else in the room.

“Probably,” Carmen said, lowering her legs and drifting down the wall.

This time, he took her hand and guided her to the closet beneath the stairs. It blended into the wall so effectively that he was certain no one would wander in. The space, however, was musty and cramped. As badly as he craved her, the closet wasn’t the right place. It felt desperate and disrespectful.

Exiting the cramped spot, Arccoo noticed how out of breath Carmen was becoming. All these bodies sucking in incalculable amounts of oxygen followed by far too much carbon dioxide must have been making her lightheaded.

“How about some fresh air?” he suggested.

Carmen nodded, and they fled the mansion together.

The chilly fall air hit Arccoo the very second they stepped out of the front door. Drawing in a slow, deep breath, he brought his attention to the cool oxygen filling his lungs and imagined he was exhaling all of the anxiety that came with this intense attraction to Carmen. It all was carried away on the breeze, scattered through the air like dust particles discarded by a passing comet.

“It’s so nice out,” Carmen said, breathing deeply as well. “This is Hollowbrook at its best.”

“I have to admit to there being a certain tranquility to the place at night,” Arccoo said, taking in their surroundings. The moonlight turned the grass to cobalt, like a dreamy sea. The night scent was crisp and clean, clearing much of the fog that had been swirling around his head.

“Can we look at the stars?” Carmen asked wistfully. “They’re so vibrant this time of year.”

“Lead the way,” Arccoo said.

Carmen took him around the front of the house to the side garden. Lined with tall shrubs that blocked the sidewalk and road beyond, the area felt secluded from the rest of the world. Not even the thumping bass of the dozens of micro-speakers carried this far.

She let go of his hand and skipped a few feet ahead. When there was enough distance between them to do so, Carmen spread her arms to their full wingspan and twirled, her face smiling up at the cosmos. Her hair flowed behind her, turning her into an ethereal sprite. Watching her made Arccoo’s knees weak.

“Look!” she called, stopping her twirling to point up. “It’s the Big Dipper!”

“The what?” Arccoo asked, walking up next to her. He followed her finger to see the twinkling vastness above.

“Do you see those four stars there that form an arched line?” Carmen traced the area of space she was referring to.

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